Friday August 2 Pentecost 10
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Psalm 69
A desperate plea for help in the midst of betrayal, disaster and defeat. Some imagery is violent, which we can interpret as expressing a deep desire that all evil be removed from the world. The references to gall and vinegar may have influenced the early Christians’ description of Jesus’ crucifixion. Often used on Fridays, the weekly anniversary of the crucifixion.
Friday is a day to ask what it means that God is willing to go through such an experience for us.
Judges 5.1-18 What’s Judges about?
The first half of an ancient victory song about Deborah’s triumph which we read yesterday.
Matthew 28.1-10 What’s Matthew about?
In the other gospels the women arrive and find the stone already rolled back but in Matthew’s gospel the women arrive and see an angel rolling the stone back. The Roman guards are stunned into unconsciousness. As the women are running home to tell the good news, Jesus appears to them, telling them to send the disciples to Galilee where he will meet them. Matthew and John understand that the further experiences of the risen Jesus happen in rural Galilee, whereas in Luke the appearances all happen in the capital city of Jerusalem.
This week’s collect:
O God,
the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,
increase and multiply upon us your mercy,
that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.